Evaluation of seismic analysis procedures for seismic actions: A Comparative study between Eurocode 8 and KTP-89

The objective of this paper is to address the seismic design considerations for a case study building by using Eurocode 8 and the Albanian seismic code KTP-89 regulations. The parameter which is taken into account in this study is the design spectrum defined in each of the two codes. Basic differences exist between the two design spectra, such as the site coefficients, the spectral shape of the spectrum and also the integration by Eurocode 8 of the near and far field concept. The effects of these differences are studied by considering the different types of soils on a case study building. The obtained results on the base shear are compared and important differences between the two codes approach are discussed

A new modeling approach in the pushover analysis of masonry structures

In this study, the pertinency of different numerical techniques for the analysis of masonrystructures is investigated on a full-scale masonry specimen. Two approaches are taken intoaccount. Namely, the nonlinear FEM modeling strategy, based on the concepts of idealizedbilinear material behavior and line elements connected by special joints, is used in the versionimplemented in the commercial software 3Muri[2]. The second method is developed withprogramme SAP2000 which offers wide possibilities in finite element method models. Usingspecific modeling tools of SAP2000 is intended to simulate nonlinear behavior of masonry andglobal response of the structure.An overview of such numerical methods, as well as a brief description of their specifictheoretical aspects, is provided in order to allow easy comparison. A simple 2 story structure ismodelled in both SAP2000 and 3Muri software. The key is the modeling with plane elements thathave different characteristics in horizontal, vertical, and shear behaviour. Using this method isperformed a pushover analysis and the results are compared to 3Muri software results. It is shownthat the results prove a reliable modeling strategy by giving very similar output results. Havinginto consideration the fact that 3Muri software has been calibrated with experimental tests, themodeling approach with SAP2000 offers a satisfactory solution for masonry

Sources Of Non-Performing Loans In Turkish Banking System

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of the unlimited deposit insurance on non-performing loans and market discipline. Deposit insurance program play a crucial role in achieving financial stability. Governments in many advanced and developing economies established deposit insurance schemes for reducing the risk of systemic failure of banks. Deposit insurance has a beneficial effect of reducing the probability of a bank run.  However deposit insurance systems have its own set of problems. Deposit insurance systems create moral hazard incentives that encourage banks to take excessive risk. Turkey established an explicit deposit insurance system in 1960. Until 1994, the coverage determined by a flat rate but in that date, Turkey experienced a major economic crisis. In April 1994, Turkish government started to apply an unlimited deposit insurance scheme to restore banking system stability. Unlimited deposit insurance caused a remarkable increase at non-performing loans. This paper empirically estimates the impact of unlimited deposit insurance system on non-performing bank loans (NPLs) and analyses the other potential sources of NPLs

The Relationship Between Employment And Real Exchange Rate: The Case Of Turkish Apparel Industry

This paper investigates the relationship between employment and real exchange rate in Turkish apparel industry. In particular, the relationship between employment and real exchange rate is sophisticated than it seems. It is widely accepted that there exists a link between real exchange rate and employment. However, the literature on this relation is insufficient and there is no consensus on whether real exchange rate has positive or negative effect on employment. Yet, we know that the sign and magnitude of this relation depend on various conditions, which ought to be analyzed in detail. We lay out an empirical model using employment, real wage, real exchange rate and production series of Turkish apparel industry. Our results indicate that there is a positive relationship between employment and real exchange rate in the long run

Religion as a Factor Influencing Turkish Women\u27s Decisions to Work

This article uses survey data collected from more than 500 women in Istanbul to examine whether or not religion exerts an influence on women’s decisions to work or not. Our work revealed that religion does not appear to have a direct impact on whether or not Turkish women choose to work. Rather the expectation that women fulfill their traditional roles as caregivers proves a greater obstacle for women who wish to enter the labor market. Religion, in the case of Turkey, Islam, can only be seen as an influence on Turkish women’s work decisions to the extent that it supports “patriarchal mentalities” which define women first and foremost as mothers and caregivers

Generating Employment For Turkey: Policy Alternatives In Comparison With Selected Countries

The main purpose of this paper is to provide some lessons for Turkey from the experiences of some selected countries that gained success in their fight against unemployment. In this respect, the experiences of selected countries; Ireland, Netherlands, United Kingdom and South Korea will be analyzed and the policy options for Turkey will be formed up. It is expected that the detailed analysis and comparison of the reforms in labor markets of these countries will put forward essential and applicable results. It is also supposed that our results will greatly contribute to the decrease in the unemployment level in Turkey, when applied. By doing so, this paper endeavors to get some meaningful policy findings for Turkey. In addition, it is believed that the comparison of the labor markets of these countries, the economic structures and labor markets of which are fairly different from each other will result in interesting findings

Income Inequality and FDI in Turkey: FM-OLS (Phillips-Hansen) Estimation and ARDL Approach to Cointegration

This paper examines the long-run impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on and the other determinants of income inequality in Turkey. Using a linear income inequality model, we apply the (ARDL) approach to cointegration which is more appropriate for estimation in small sample studies. The long-run results are also estimated by using the fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) method. These methodologies, while proven to produce reliable estimates in small sample sizes, provide a check for the robustness of results. The data span for the study is from 1990 to 2006. The empirical results indicate the existence of a cointegration relationship among the variables. The results also point to a positive impact of FDI on income inequality which is consistent with other past studies. The positive impact of FDI growth rate on income inequality is shown to be significant in the short-run but not in the long-run

Income Inequality and FDI in Turkey: FM-OLS (Phillips-Hansen) Estimation and ARDL Approach to Cointegration

This paper examines the long-run impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on and the other determinants of income inequality in Turkey. Using a linear income inequality model, we apply the (ARDL) approach to cointegration which is more appropriate for estimation in small sample studies. The long-run results are also estimated by using the fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) method. These methodologies, while proven to produce reliable estimates in small sample sizes, provide a check for the robustness of results. The data span for the study is from 1990 to 2006. The empirical results indicate the existence of a cointegration relationship among the variables. The results also point to a positive impact of FDI on income inequality which is consistent with other past studies. The positive impact of FDI growth rate on income inequality is shown to be significant in the short-run but not in the long-run

Prevalence of tick-borne haemoparasites in small ruminants in Turkey and diagnostic sensitivity of single-PCR and RLB

Background: Tick-borne haemoparasitic diseases (TBHDs), caused by Theileria, Babesia, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia, are common in regions of the world where the distributions of host, pathogen and vector overlap. Many of these diseases threaten livestock production and some also represent a concern to human public health. The primary aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the above-mentioned pathogens in a large number of blood samples (n = 1979) collected from sheep (n = 1727) and goats (n = 252) in Turkey. A secondary aim was to assess the diagnostic sensitivity of a number of species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and the reverse line blotting (RLB) assay. DNA samples were screened using species-specific PCR for the presence of Theileria ovis, Theileria sp. MK, T. lestoquardi, T. uilenbergi, T. luwenshuni, Babesia ovis, Anaplasma ovis and A. phagocytophilum while RLB was undertaken to test for the presence of all known Theileria, Babesia, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species. The diagnostic sensitivity of these two approaches was then compared in terms of their ability to detect single species and mixed infections. Results: Overall, 84 and 74.43% of the small ruminants sampled were identified as hosting one or more pathogen(s) by species-specific PCR and RLB respectively. The presence of Theileria sp. OT1, T. luwenshuni and T. uilenbergi in Turkey was revealed for the first time while the presence of Babesia motasi, B. crassa and T. separata in Turkish small ruminants was confirmed using molecular methods. A high prevalence of mixed infection was evident, with PCR and RLB approaches indicating that 52.24 and 35.42% of animals were co-infected with multiple species, respectively. More than 80% of the mixed infections contained T. ovis and/or A. ovis. The RLB approach was found to be capable of detecting mixed infections with species such as Theileria sp. OT1, Theileria sp. OT3, T. separata, B. crassa and Babesia spp. Conclusion: The results indicated that pathogens causing TBHDs are highly prevalent in sheep and goats in Turkey. The diagnostic sensitivity of species-specific single PCR was generally higher than that of RLB. However, the latter approach was still capable of identifying a high proportion of individuals containing mixed-species infections. The use of species-specific single PCR is recommended to accurately estimate pathogen prevalence and to identify co-infected hosts

The Relationship between GDP and Unemployment: Evidence from MENA Countries

This paper investigates the long-run relationship between GDP growth and unemployment for the following selected MENA countries: Turkey, Egypt, Israel, and Jordan. Although the results of previous studies in this area are somewhat ambiguous, the literature has traditionally shown a negative relationship between GDP growth and unemployment. In this paper, we expect a negative long-run relationship between GDP growth and unemployment to exist. Therefore, we predict that high rates of GDP growth will lead to a reduction in unemployment. The results of our cross-country comparison model support a negative relationship between these variables